Australian children attend school from around 5 years of age for approximately 12 years, depending on which State or Territory you live in. Each State and Territory is responsible for its own education system.
The bulk of children in Australia attend public school with approximately 30% of students attending an independent school (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics). If you plan to send your children to public school, the decision will be relatively straightforward as you will generally attend a school in a zone determined by your residential address. If you wish to send your child to an independent school however, you will need to do your research early as many have long waiting lists and require you to apply early to secure a place. The following is a quick overview of the stages of education, some factors to take into consideration and lots of handy links so that you can research further.
STAGES OF EDUCATION
Pre-school
Not compulsory. Children usually attend from around 4 or 5 years of age for 2-5 days per week in the year prior to starting school. See links to each State/Territory education department below for more information.
Infants/primary
Compulsory. Kindergarten to approximately Year 6. Starting dates and the name of the starting year tends to differs slightly between each State/ Territory. Generally children enrol from approximately 5 years of age.
Secondary
Usually Year 6 through to Year 12 (6 or 7 years depending on the State or Territory). Generally, students are able to leave from about Year 10 (on completion of a Leaving Certificate) however the majority of students are now remaining to complete Year 12. In 1999 72.3% of students in Australia completed Year 12.
Tertiary and vocational training
Following on from Secondary school, students can move onto vocational (job based) training or they can go on to University study. Completion of Year 12 study or equivalent is a minimum pre-requisite for entrance to University.
Types of education: public or independent?
Public schools are generally co-educational (boys and girls attend classes together). Education at a public school is free in most states though many schools will charge a small annual fee.
If you plan to go public
Do you know which school "zone" you are in? The school that your child will attend will be determined by your residential address. Local councils and schools will be able to advise which zone you fall into or the website for your State/ Territory Education Department below may have a school finder.
Private (independent) schools operate independently of government schools, with each student being required to pay more substantial fees than those charged in a public school. Independent schools generally adhere to a specific religious or educational philosophy and receive subsidies from both State and Federal Government. Most independent schools are single sex schools and Catholic Schools make up the largest group of independent schools in Australia.
If you plan to go private
Have you contacted the school and completed an application form. Many schools require an application and deposit to be in place well before the time your child is due to attend the school.
Have you investigated fees to determine whether you will need to put a financial plan in place to ensure that you can afford the school.
Check on the costs of uniforms, extra curricular activities and books that will also need to be paid each year in addition to stated fees.
Have you met with the principal or attended an open day to get an understanding of the schools philosophy and whether it is in line with your own.
Have you talked to other parents whose children are attending the school to hear their comments?
When to start school - what age?
Depending which state you live in your child could start school anywhere from 5-6 years of age. Of course all children are different and you need to determine what is best for your child. Whilst some years ago it was common to send children to school from 4 1/2, today many parents are more inclined to hold children back to give them time to develop their emotional and social maturity rather than sending them to school at an early age.
While each state has parameters in place to guide the age at which your child should start school - the real gauge needs to be your child's readiness for school. Knowing whether you child is ready to attend school is best determined by monitoring their emotional, social and intellectual readiness. Does your child play well with other children? Does she cope with minimal dependence on adults? Has he shown that he is capable of forming friendships? Talk to your child's Early Childhood Teacher or your GP to help determine whether your child is ready for school or not.
You can also talk to other parents in the EB Education Years Forums to discuss how other members decided which age to send their child to school.
The cost
In Australia, Public Schools are government funded and positions are available for every child to attend school. Private Schools on the other hand attract significantly higher fees - varying from around $700 for Kindergarten in a Catholic School up to around $9,000 for Kindergarten in one of the more expensive independent school (senior years can cost around $1500/year in Catholic Schools and $17,000/year in a more expensive independent school).
If you plan to attend a private school get as much information as you can about the fees payable each year (they generally increase as the child moves into more senior years of schooling) and check on any additional costs such as compulsory uniforms, school bags, books and extracurricular activities.
More information
Government Education
The following list of the Education Departments in your state will assist you to find more specific information about the education system in your area.
NSW Department of Education and Training
VIC Department of Education and Training
QLD Department of Education and the Arts
SA Department of Education and Children's Services
WA Department of Education and Training
TAS Department of Education
NT Department of Employment, Education and Training
ACT Department of Education and Training
National Catholic Education Commission
NSW Catholic Education Office
VIC Catholic Education Office
QLD Catholic Education Office
SA Catholic Education Office
WA Catholic Education Office
TAS Catholic Education Office
NT Catholic Education Office
ACT Catholic Education Office
Other Independent Schools contacts
Australian Association of Christian Schools
Independent Schools Council of Australia
Lutheran Education Australia
Steiner Schools
Montessori Association of Australia
Discuss your child's education options with other mums in our Essential Baby Schooling forums.
